Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-11
MISER PERRY,S STRANGE LIFE.
Clean and Respectable I'm Youth, but
Dying i'm Filth and SQualOr.

The coroner In Philadelphia held inauests yes
teruay In the cases OF the two old men-.Joseph
Perry, the miSer, and his cousin Richard Price
who We're found dead in their filthy home, No.
1OSo Locust street, on Friday last The physician
who made the post mortem examination testified
that the Stomachs OF both men were empty; that
their bodies were very much emaciated. and that
he was OF the opinion that the men had frozen to
death. verdict to that effect was given by the
jury. Cash and securities amounting TO over
100000, wrapped in dirty rags, which have been
found In the Locust street home OF the two old
men, were yesterday deposited by the coroner
with safe deposit company. Wednesday was
is stin under guard and viii remain so until the
nelrs are satisfied that nothing OF value remains I'm
The Philadelphia Press says: Joseph Perry the
miser, found frozen to death with his cousin Rich
ard Price, on the floor or their cherries empty
novel last Friday, was seventy-three years old.
FRIENDS OF yore, John McCough among them
would rather remember him long ago as a brisk
tnorough-going little man, with clean face clean
boots and cane, flying around town after mort
cages With CHEEKY nod TO paSSer here and
there. That was when his good old mother lived
with him at l025 Locust street and kept an eye on
him and Dick. whom she adopted at an early age
Dick was then a well-to-do mechanic. large an6
muscular, always slouchy. When years had
passed away and so had old Mrs. Perry, Locust
1O25 Locust naught but two lettering old men,
gaunt, haggard and drunken. Mocked at by chill
dred leered at by the streets queer people they,
arn-in-arm, went into their old home ten days ago
and slammed the door forever on their wretched
lives.
Joseph's father was a respectable old dyer
Co.'S auction shop, on South Front street, as book
keeper: There his grasping, boarding habit grad
ually developed Itself When the elder Comfy died
he got into the firm, flourtshed for while as a
pushing business man, and finally he returned 10
attend to his mortgages, bonds and deeds and
enormous wealth and starve, with no one to see
him but 'COuSin Dick" TWENTY-FIVE years ago
his old mother fell sick when he and Dick were her
only support. So busy was he coming dollars that
he paid no attention TO her, and Samuel Campbell,
her son-fn-law, took her home TO his house in
Frankford When she got better she called on him
several times, but he didn't notice her. Finally
she died, and from that day no woman ever put
her foot In Joseph Perry's house.
Of late years Old Joe has been familiar figure
at all cheap grocery auctions buying cheap can.
ned meats ana fruits, on which he and Dick fed
ana washed them down with whisky the poorest.
Several years ago the board OF health Offered two
men $l5 each TO clean JoeS house, and the old
miser paid them $40 each not TO do IL. Mr.. Null
crone and his wiie keep the little grocery shop
next door 10 the miSer'S house. "Once and a
while Perry bought little buckwheat OF Us, said
Mrs. Muicrone, "and sent Dick after II. Some
days Mr.. Perry would pass me with stare; again
lie u rushed up, grasp both my hands and say:
MY dear good woman, how do you do?' The house
was always still. believe he thought more OF his
dog than anything else save his gold" Old Joe
had one spot OF generosity i'll his heart. That
was for the jewish hospital He contributed TO
That institution at intervals lie was always
averSe 10 marrying and scof1ed whenever advised
10 90 SO. samuel Campbell wanted him TO make
MS nome with him several years ago and the offer
was declined with severe politene5s Samuel Camp
bells children were the misers nearest relatives
and Will probably inherit his estate. They have
grown up and married, and are Elizabeth Solly,
Annie Comfy, Sarah kaye and William Perry
Campbell. Miser Joe Will live in the memory OF
his tenants as the grasping old mortal who, when
his rents fell due on Sunday, knocked at their
doors on Saturday night.